Iran is facing its most severe water crisis in more than six decades. <\/p>\n
Major dams supplying drinking water<\/a> to provinces with millions of residents<\/a> are nearly empty<\/a>, and groundwater reserves have been depleted. Many cities have endured an entire autumn without a single drop<\/a> of rain.<\/p>\n In the capital, Tehran, and in Mashhad, the country\u2019s second-largest city, in the north-east, some reservoirs<\/a> are at less than 5% and 3% capacity, respectively. <\/p>\n Authorities have begun cutting off water at night in the capital, according to reports. Iran\u2019s president Masoud Pezeshkian has even warned of possible evacuations<\/a> if \u201cit doesn\u2019t rain soon\u201d. Images have surfaced<\/a> on social media showing university students protesting water shortages on campuses.<\/p>\n Water shortages pose a serious security<\/a> risk in Iran. In the summer of 2021<\/a>, protests broke out in Khuzestan province in the south-west of the country due to severe water shortages. A few months later, farmers in Isfahan gathered to demonstrate<\/a> over the Zayandeh-Rud River drying up.<\/p>\n Today in Shiraz (home to iconic cultural landmarks<\/a> such as Persepolis) as well as the historic cities of Isfahan and Yazd, land subsidence<\/a> is cracking buildings, collapsing roads and threatening monuments<\/a> as excessive groundwater extraction weakens the soil beneath them.<\/p>\n More than 90% of Iran\u2019s water is extracted for farming, with much of it lost to inefficient irrigation practices. Studies show<\/a> the country\u2019s ambitious dam-building campaign, intended to enhance food and energy self-sufficiency, has disrupted natural ecosystems and contributed to the drying up of major wetlands<\/a> and lakes. These include Lake Urmia<\/a>, once the Middle East\u2019s largest salt lake, now reduced to a bed of salt<\/a> that could fuel dust and salt storms across the region.<\/p>\n While climate change has contributed<\/a> to the worsening drought, Iran\u2019s water crisis<\/a> has mainly been caused by poor management<\/a>. The government\u2019s focus on agricultural expansion<\/a> and dam construction has often come at the expense of sustainability, while limited regulation of groundwater extraction including widespread drilling of around one million wells, half of which are illegal, has severely depleted aquifers across the country.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s foreign policy and isolation from the international community are also key drivers of its water crisis<\/a>. Sanctions have meant that Iran has limited access <\/a> to new technologies. These include advanced irrigation systems, high-resolution satellite monitoring such as InSAR data (which can detect land subsidence<\/a>), cloud-based AI platforms for detailed urban or infrastructure-level monitoring, smart sensors, and precision agriculture tools. <\/p>\n Iran\u2019s water levels are so low, that supplies are being turned off regularly.<\/p>\n The absence of such technologies has deepened inefficiencies, accelerated land subsidence<\/a> and exacerbated the depletion of vital water resources<\/a> across the country. Foreign investors are also hesitant to fund projects in Iran because of sanctions, further blocking opportunities for innovation.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s divided decision-making<\/a> system has made the problem worse. The ministry of energy, the ministry of agriculture and the department of environment<\/a> often operate with different priorities. One builds infrastructure for hydropower, another pushes for farmland expansion, while the environmental office doesn\u2019t have enough resources<\/a> and power to make major changes. These conflicting agendas have created confusion, inefficiency and widespread overuse of water.<\/p>\n But Iran\u2019s water crisis<\/a> goes beyond its borders. For instance, the country shares bodies<\/a> of water with Afghanistan and Iraq. Disputes over water, such as the long-running disagreement with the Taliban over the Helmand River, have already increased tensions.<\/p>\n As lakes and rivers<\/a> dry up, their exposed beds could turn into vast sources <\/a> of sand and dust. These particles can travel thousands of kilometres, crossing national borders and degrading soil and air<\/a> quality across the wider region. <\/p>\n What begins as a local water crisis<\/a> in Iran then has the potential to become a transboundary<\/a> environmental threat, affecting millions beyond its border, from Sistan and Baluchistan<\/a> and Khuzestan<\/a> to neighbouring countries downwind.<\/p>\n Can anything be done?<\/p>\n Scientists, academics, and the media have discussed<\/a> the causes and consequences of Iran\u2019s water crisis<\/a> for a long time. What\u2019s talked about far less, however, are the potential solutions \u2013 and whether anything can actually be done to address parts of the crisis and answer the question on the minds of more than 80 million people: Is there still hope? <\/p>\n The short answer is yes.<\/p>\n Assuming the country gains access to modern technology and finance through changes to its foreign policy<\/a> (which means for instance that sanctions are removed), this could turn the tide. In the short term, the priority must be halting groundwater depletion<\/a> through strict monitoring, smart meters on wells, and integrating satellite data with on-the-ground measurements.<\/p>\n Real-time water accounting \u2013 using tools such as space satellites Grace<\/a> and Sentinel<\/a> \u2013 can identify critical areas and guide emergency action. The government must also inspect areas affected by subsidence<\/a> or over-extraction. This might include schools, which have suffered lots of problems with subsidence historically, causing cracked walls and other damage. Then it must take immediate action, including temporary closures or relocations where safety is at risk. <\/p>\n Mid-term priorities should focus on improving monitoring and efficiency. Managed aquifer recharge<\/a> (a strategy that deliberately directs water into underground reservoirs) using stormwater or treated wastewater, precision irrigation<\/a>, digital agriculture<\/a>, and AI-based irrigation scheduling<\/a> can dramatically reduce losses of water<\/p>\n AI and digital twin <\/a> technologies (digital replicas of environments) have proved to be highly effective in sustainable natural resource management. <\/p>\n An example of this is how the \u20ac10 million (\u00a38.8 million) EU-funded AI4SoilHealth<\/a> flagship project leverages AI and big data analytics to monitor and quantify soil health<\/a> across Europe. Managing water resources is no exception. Integrating AI-driven models<\/a> and using new digital tools can enhance forecasting, optimise usage, and help inform policy decisions.<\/p>\n Long-term recovery also depends on governance. Iran needs a unified national water authority that aligns energy, agriculture, and environmental goals around sustainability.<\/p>\n Legal caps on groundwater<\/a> abstraction, and economic diversification<\/a> away from water-intensive crops are essential. Incentivising efficient irrigation and wastewater reuse<\/a> plus adjusting water pricing to reflect scarcity would help.<\/p>\n The country must diversify its economy so that fewer livelihoods depend on water-intensive industries, such as farming. Together, these steps could stabilise Iran\u2019s water systems and prevent further environmental<\/a>, social, and economic damage.<\/p>\n